William McGinley, a prominent campaign finance lawyer who testified at yesterday’s hearing on the DISCLOSE Act, noted during his oral testimony that “the broad reach of the new definitions of independent expenditure… and covered coordinated communications… now appear to regulate internet communication, including the liberal and conservative blogosphere.”

McGinley went on to note that the DISCLOSE Act’s media exemption provisions does not include web sites or internet communications in the same manner as current law, which does protect political speech on the internet from government regulation and restriction. He concludes that “this legislation does not exclude bloggers or internet communications, and places them at risk. If this bill passes, the internet’s status as a free-speech zone is in danger.”